What particularly fascinates us about the Arbury habitations is the close proximity of the developments - Iron Age and Roman. These provided part of the impetuous for the 'Arbury 1980' primary schools' project and the 1981 book 'Arbury Is Where We Live!' Part of the earthwork outline, which gave rise to the Arbury name, can still be seen in the course of Ring Fort Road at Orchard Park (originally Arbury Park and, before that, Arbury Camp Farm). King's Hedges, of course, is north of the guided busway, a fifty-eight acre farm. Archaeologists had an immensely exciting find in a North Arbury barley field in the late 1960s. The field, previously part of the old Manor Farm and, before that, the Arbury/Harborough Meadows, Furlongs and Corner, was awaiting development, including King's Hedges School - which actually isn't in the historic King's Hedges area, a fifty-eight acre farm, at all.  A Roman villa was discovered - apparently ten-roomed, and boasting a...

A frozen Manor Farm Drive in 1956. The photographer was looking towards Arbury Road, and standing opposite what is now the Arbury Town Park. The Manor Farmhouse was empty at this point. Photo: Cambridgeshire Collection. The original Arbury district has a long history of mud. From the iron age Arbury Camp, wreathed in the mists of prehistory and, no doubt, quite squidgy in the old soil department at times, to the Roman habitations built in the Arbury Meadows beside the earthwork north of Arbury Road, and on through the centuries to the Manor and Hall Farms, north and south of Arbury Road, mud was always a fact of life. As it was in rural districts across the country. On the subject of Arbury mud, Mrs Osland wrote about the Manor Farm Drive (now Campkin Road) and having to ride her bike down there to visit her aunt:  We used to hear all sorts of things about Arbury being haunted by Romans and the part we called the 'Roman Arbury' was over by Chivers at Arbury Camp Farm and along ...

Our latest Arbury 'bits and bobs' feature - thanks to all readers for contributing! 'Cambridge Daily News', 1954: the Arbury Road housing estate is under construction... Our picture shows part of the latest development at the Arbury Road housing estate. Private houses and those built for the corporation are going up in three stages and at present work is being carried out on the first and second stages. Over 1,200 houses are to be built which are at present costing between £1,200 and £1,500 each. Lighting has been installed on the Arbury Road and other roads have been built with sewers ready to be connected as soon as the houses are erected. Lighting on these roads will be installed when the houses are ready. It looks as though it might be Brimley Road on South Arbury to us. Anybody know for sure? Here's a lovely aerial view of the Manor Schools, Arbury Road, Alex Wood Road, the Manor Farm Drive and Arbury Court around 1960. Note that the future site of Budgen's...